Norwegian pianist Tord Gustavsen creates lyrical, stripped down music that is deceptive in its simplicity. On his recent album, The Other Side, Gustavsen returns to the piano trio setting, expanding its repertoire with new compositions as well as arrangements of J.S. Bach chorales and traditional Scandinavian hymns.

The elements long present in Gustavsen’s work remain intact: an appreciation for silence and space, a reverence built on the hymns of his youth, a Nordic kind of soulfulness and an instinct for memorable compositions.